How Harry Styles is influencing the fashion of his concert attendees.
BY CARLY WITT, ’23. GRAPHIC BY MEGAN MCKINNEY, ’22.
Anticipation growing in the air of the arena, the lights begin to dim and the crowd’s cheers grow under the roof. The lights come up, illuminating a crowd of fashion as far as the eye can see. Feather boas, patterned suits and platform heels are just the tip of the iceberg as far as Harry Styles concert fashion goes.
Many UA students attended “Harry Styles: Love on Tour” this fall and dressed up for the occasion. Junior Maggie Campbell attended Harry’s show in Pittsburgh.
“It was my first concert, so I wanted to wear something fun, and I had seen on social media that people were dressing up in crazy outfits, so I wanted to as well,” Campbell said.
Concert attendees will go to great lengths for their outfits, planning months ahead to coordinate with Harry’s style or with friends they’re going with.
“My best friend and I went shopping for outfits for the concert since we both felt we needed to buy something, and our outfits ended up being similar even though we didn’t coordinate them,” Campbell said.“I had the idea in mind that I wanted to wear something red to fit the vibes of some of my favorite Harry songs, so when we were shopping I just looked around for red items that caught my eye.
Lucy Chamberlain, who attended the Cleveland concert, said, “I think I would have felt weird if I didn’t because pretty much everyone was in a fun outfit. I also think that since harry’s style is very bold and he does a lot with fashion and stuff then most of his fans like to dress up.”
TikTok and social media have heavily influenced the outfits people have worn; inspiration and ideas are spread throughout apps. Concert attendees take inspiration from posts, and do their own takes on certain looks, making each outfit diverse. “I saw a few TikToks of people’s concert outfits, but none really influenced me other than the fact that I wanted to wear something bright,” Campbell said.
Harry’s own fashion style inspires looks at the concerts as well.
“I think especially for Harry, people dressed up because Harry always wears such fun and colorful outfits, so I think they wanted to match his energy,” Campbell said.
“I think I would have had a different experience because when everyone is dressed sort of similar it’s nice to connect with others in that sense. I also think that having fun accessories like sunglasses or a hat makes it more fun.” Chamberlain said.
Dressing up for the concert can expand on the experience as well, providing a space for attendees to express themselves and feel comfortable while also enjoying the music.
“Dressing up definitely added to the experience though,” Campbell said. “I felt good and was excited to dress up, and I was already excited for the concert, so automatically I was in a really good mood.”